AI lessons from the frontline of client services

When I came back from maternity leave in 2024, I expected a few new faces, conversations to catch up on, recalibrated priorities, and projects and clients that had naturally evolved in my absence. What I didn’t anticipate was the scale of change that had taken place while my attention had been pulled in a very different direction. AI had become part of everyday agency conversation, woven, almost instinctively, into how teams worked.

Fast forward two years and, as I get ready for the arrival of my second child, I’m leading the production of the agency’s first fully AI‑generated video series. It’s exciting, and it underlines just how quickly things have moved on. From this vantage point, you can see very clearly how AI and automation are reshaping agency life in ways that are tangible, day to day, and grounded in how work actually gets delivered.

That shift is impossible to miss in client services. We translate ambiguity, triage competing priorities, keep momentum moving, and make decisions at speed with incomplete information. So when AI starts to reshape the pace, expectations, and outputs of agency work, you feel it here first.

Briefs are evolving in real time

AI hasn’t just accelerated delivery; it’s reshaped how briefs are formed. Client briefs now arrive with more inputs, more context, and often more urgency. Increasingly, they’re directional rather than definitive, with an expectation that things will be shaped collaboratively as the work progresses. That’s a positive shift, but it raises the bar on how quickly and clearly account teams need to interrogate and strengthen the brief from the outset.

The same applies to how we brief internal teams. Translating an evolving client brief into something clear, focused, and compelling has always been a core client services responsibility. AI supports that process by helping teams distill what matters, surface key considerations, and align on objectives before work begins.

AI is most valuable here not as an oracle, but as an amplifier of good thinking. It helps sense-check briefs for gaps, contradictions, missing audiences, or unclear success measures, allowing teams to get sharper before the real work starts.

That said, AI doesn’t fix a weak brief; it simply exposes issues more quickly. The quality bar still starts with human judgment. Where AI adds the most value is in freeing up time and headspace, reducing manual effort so client services can focus on clarity, alignment, and smarter upfront thinking.

Client-specific agents are becoming part of the account toolkit

One of the most noticeable shifts is the rise of client‑specific AI agents. These are specialist tools programmed for clearly defined tasks, from competitor messaging analysis and trend scanning to tone of voice alignment and category insight generation.

Another powerful application is audience building. Even with limited initial information, AI can help teams segment audiences, surface likely priorities and behaviors, and create early working personas that can then be refined collaboratively. It doesn’t replace proper research, but it gives account teams a stronger starting point for more focused conversations.

Rather than constantly rebuilding context, teams can establish consistent ways of gathering insight, framing recommendations, and maintaining alignment across markets. Used well, this drives efficiency without sacrificing rigor.

Credibility becomes the critical filter. The most useful outputs aren’t just persuasive, they’re defensible, with clear sourcing and a logic trail that stands up to scrutiny. This is where client services plays an important role as gatekeeper. We’re the ones assessing whether something is robust, relevant, and appropriate to put in front of a client, and where human judgment still matters most.

AI doesn’t streamline decision-making by deciding for us, but by removing friction from the process. In practice, that shows up in tangible ways. Long feedback threads are distilled into a small number of clear decisions. Meeting discussions become concise action logs that actually get followed. Updates for senior stakeholders focus on implications and direction, rather than narrative-heavy decks.

Production is moving at a different speed

The shift becomes even more visible in production. The gap between idea and execution has narrowed significantly, whether through AI-generated video, rapid visual exploration, or image generation, replacing early scamps. Clients see progress faster, which they understandably value. But it also resets expectations, creating the assumption that everything downstream should move at the same speed.

In this context, client services becomes the translator between possibility and reality. We define what ‘fast’ actually means when quality, brand, legal, and consistency still apply. And while AI can generate strong visual starting points, it doesn’t replace craft. Creative and design teams remain critical, refining and elevating outputs so they’re fit for real-world use. The best results come from that combination, not from taking AI outputs at face value.

Where this leaves client services

AI and automation aren’t changing what client services is responsible for, but they are fundamentally reshaping how the role operates, the pace it demands, and the expectations that come with it. They make it easier to do the operational parts well, and harder to rely on process when what’s really required is judgment.

At the heart of it all are relationships. Strong client relationships aren’t built on efficiency; they’re built on trust, knowledge, consistency and good judgment over time. AI can support that journey, but it doesn’t replace the conversations, moments of alignment or reassurance that come from knowing someone genuinely understands your business and priorities.

Ultimately, AI is an accelerator, not an owner. It helps us move faster, but responsibility still sits with people. Get that balance right, and the outcome isn’t just greater efficiency. It’s better work, stronger relationships, and more space for the parts of client services that genuinely matter.

Wendy Owen
Senior account manager